Twilight Lily
by Archaon
Summary: One-shot. First they were friends, then they almost became more. When one strayed from their promise, they became reluctant enemies. Now, days before the climax, Snape seeks forgiveness.


**Twilight Lily**

**A Harry Potter one-shot**

**By Archaon**

**-H-J-P-**

_Twilight Martagon,_

_I hope this letter reaches you despite your efforts to remain hidden. I know what you think of me, but I implore you, give me a chance to talk to you. I have vital information for you and no intention to harm you. Give me one chance to redeem myself, just one chance, I beg of you. I will be waiting for you in the 'wolf den' the night of the new moon-no sense taking furry chances. I will be alone and I hope you'll do the same, even though I can't stop you from bringing company if you feel I am too untrustworthy. _

_Humbly, _

_The Half-Blood Prince_

**-H-J-P-**

The gray-cloaked figure glared at her surroundings, daring anyone and anything hiding in the evening shadows to attack her. When a challenge failed to occur, she raised her wand and proceeded to silently cast a rapid succession of charms. In what would seem like a blur to the untrained eye, she layered wave upon wave of protective and enhancing magic on her person. Concealing charms and glamours, obscure shields and alarms, reflex and endurance augments, all were applied with speed and efficiency unmatched by all but the most powerful of masters.

Satisfied with her precautions, the figure apparated away, appearing close to Hogsmead, right outside the Shrieking Shack. Ignoring the fact the wooden construct had no openings above ground, she pointed her wand at a bare wall.

"Distendo!" she whispered, frowning as she had to pour a lot of power to weaken the building's substantial wards. Some seconds later, she simply walked forward, the wooden wall rippling and shying away as she passed, only to perfectly reconstruct itself afterwards.

Making nary a sound, she obscured her magical presence and slowly sneaked behind the lone occupant of the shack, a figure clad in black that was nervously standing guard next to the subterranean entrance. Said figure only tensed up milliseconds before her wand tip touched the back of his neck.

"Accio wands", she hissed in his ear as she wandlessly summoned three of the focusing aids from his person. "What did I call my sister when we were little?" she demanded.

The now unarmed wizard kept his voice very calm. "Tuney", he answered. "How did I get the scar on my left shoulder?"

The female held her pity back. "Your father stabbed you with a coal poker when you were twelve. It was during the summer holidays and we couldn't fix it magically."

The male figure visibly relaxed. "Thank the gods it's really you Lily. I was afraid you wouldn't come", he returned, turning to face her.

"Mordeo!" The pain curse hit him on the chest, sending him flying backwards. It was quite weaker than the overkill that is the Cruciatus, but nothing to laugh at.

"Was that really necessary?" groaned the black-clad figure as he returned to his feet.

Lily Potter-nee-Evans scowled. "This is just the beginning, Severus. Cut the crap and explain to me why my former best friend turned Death Eater asked to see me."

Severus Snape sighed at the biting words. "I had to talk to you. It's my fault, you know. This whole Prophesy mess has happened because I was stupid and careless and..."

"Whoa there, what Prophesy are you talking about?" she inquired, honestly puzzled.

Snape gaped at her. "You mean to tell me Albus told you nothing? You don't even know why the Dark Lord is after you?"

Lily raised a brow. "Apart from the fact James and I are two of the few people that have fought him to a standstill several times? No, I know of no other reason", she replied sarcastically.

Her old friend could apparently find no mirth in her words. "Some months ago I overheard a true Prophesy concerning the Dark Lord. I, of course, ran to Him with the content, before realizing one of the potential candidates to fulfill it is your son."

The muggleborn's response was instant. Springing like a viper, she grabbed him by the neck, slamming him on the wall behind them, wild magic humming around her. Glowing green eyes pierced his own black, eyes he had always found alluring. 'Avada Kedavra eyes' he thought to himself. "**Speak!**" she demanded, her power flowing through her voice and compelling him to comply.

Ashen pale, he recited the hated lines_. "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..._"

The power drained away from Lily's fingers and she let her old friend back to ground, once again able to breathe freely. "Why should it be Harry?" she whispered. "Why him?"

Snape massaged his throat. "It's either him or the Longbottom boy. That's not important, though. He thinks the Prophesy refers to your son and he will act appropriately. Fortunately the Dark Lord only knows the first three phrases. As soon as I realized what was going on, I claimed ignorance." Hesitantly, he tried to touch Lily's shoulder. Where there was once power, he could only see frailty. Had she always been so delicate? "I work for Dumbledore now, you know. I have secretly joined the Order as a spy to the Dark Lord."

Snape had let down his occlumency barriers and Lily knew he was saying the truth. Still, she violently jerked his hand away. "So what?" she spat. "Do you seek forgiveness? Do you really think we can go back to what we were?"

He was desperate at that point. "Please, Lily, I can change, I can atone."

She snorted. "Do you think it's so simple, after you have betrayed everything we've ever believed in?" She laughed harshly at that point. "You know, most think we stopped being friends because you called me a 'mudblood' back then. You, the 'Dark Arts' master and myself, the valiant, 'True Light' Gryffindor that could not tolerate you."

The ghost of a smirk touched the Slytherin's face. "What would they say if they knew you are better than me in the 'dark arts'."

Lily glared at him. "When we started reading your mother's books, years before Hogwarts, we promised to each other we would never be tempted to become inhuman monsters, no matter how much 'dark' staff we would learn. Until our sixth year it worked, Severus. What the hell where you thinking when you joined Voldemort? Even back then, he and his ilk were not exactly of the tea-party variety. More like the raiding-party one."

By that time, Snape was sitting on the floor, back against a wall, looking really defeated. "He promised me too much, Lily. He blinded me with offers of power. Other than you, there was nothing else for me to live for and Potter..."

When he failed to finish the sentence, Lily all but collapsed beside him. "It always comes back to James, doesn't it? I hate the way you hate each other. It has done way too much damage to everyone involved."

Gathering courage he didn't know he possessed, the male potions master asked another question. "If... if I had asked you out before you and Potter... if I had, what would you have done?"

Lily smiled sadly at that. "What a horrible thing to ask a married woman, Sevy. I guess things would have been very different", she added wistfully. Sobering down, she turned and glared at him. "Of course, 'what ifs' are a dime a dozen. There is only one person I love more than James, and that's my son."

Snape looked lost for a while, then sighed again. "If you need any help protecting him..."

Lily shook her head. "You do your part and I'll do mine. Even if the Fidelius somehow fails, I have no less than five contingency plans in place. Just make sure you stay clear of my wand point, Sev. These decadent Death Eater robes and masks make wonderful targets."

He was sure he would regret it, but he asked anyway. "What sort of contingency plans?"

Her smirk was almost hurtful. "Let's just say that Blood magic and Necromancy are very misunderstood arts. Also, muggle warfare is surprisingly effective against unprepared wizards."

Snape flinched.

**-H-J-P-**

Some time ago, I promised myself that I would avoid this category, mainly because of its overwhelming size. Normally, I would have broken that promise with an enormous epic story that would never be finished, with this as the prologue. Instead, I have decided to leave it a one-shot, at least for now. 'Martagon' is a kind of lily, btw. Enjoy and review.


End file.
